Lotus unveils all-new 3-Eleven at Goodwood

By
Josée Paquet ,
2015-06-26

Lotus has just unveiled its all-new 3-Eleven at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K., marking the fastest production road car in the brand's history. A track version also exists.

The Lotus 3-Eleven, which will be limited to 311 units, will enter production next February. Deliveries will begin two months later, with prices starting at £82,000 (approx. $159,000) for the two-seat road model and £115,200 (approx. $224,000) for the single-seat race model.

Featuring an open-cockpit design, the Lotus 3-Eleven is extremely lightweight (the race variant weighs less than 900kg) and uses a 3.5L supercharged V6 engine that produces 450 horsepower through a 6-speed sequential shift gearbox. It sprints from 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in less than three seconds before reaching a top speed of 290 km/h (race: 280 km/h).

"We always say that to make a sports car better, you make it faster and lighter. The new Lotus 3-Eleven carries that philosophy to a new level, and is perfectly in keeping with our brand values,” said Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer for Group Lotus plc.

The topless cockpit, also devoid of a windshield, clearly embodies the brand's performance ethos. It houses sports seats with harnesses, and a slick TFT screen that can be switched between road and track modes.

Big-time thrill seekers and driving enthusiasts are sure to love the new Lotus 3-Eleven!